Chapter 25 Kai
Kai
After Rosie went to bed, we stayed up talking. None of us were really ready to sleep.
“It’s clear the drug is wearing off,” Harlan says, his voice steady but grim. “Because it’s experimental, there’s no way to predict what kind of symptoms she might have. Has she mentioned how long she’s been on it, Kai?”
I shake my head. “I tried bringing it up tonight, but she didn’t want to talk about it yet.”
Harlan is clearly thinking it through. He’s always been good at seeing every angle, considering every possible outcome before acting. It’s one of the reasons I joined his pack in the first place. I knew he could protect me from my own family’s expectations.
“Hopefully she’ll talk to the doctor tomorrow,” Wyatt says quietly. He’s standing next to me in the kitchen, his broad frame radiating warmth in the chill of the room.
The silence stretches between us, comfortable but heavy. Everything feels dimmer when Rosie’s not here, like the house loses its color. But Wyatt is steady. Solid. His presence makes the edges of the world soften again.
Watching him tonight, feeding Rosie those homemade candies on the wagon ride, something shifted inside me. A spark, maybe. A warmth I didn’t realize I’d been missing.
Since the night Rosie vanished two years ago, I’ve felt like I’ve been living in limbo. Waiting.
And when I met Wyatt, I wanted to move forward and open myself up again. There’s always been something familiar between us, something easy. But with Rosie gone, maybe lost for good, I wasn't able to. It felt wrong.
Like my heart had been put on pause.
Now that she’s here, I thought it would overshadow what I feel for Wyatt. Instead, it’s sharpened it. Seeing them together gives me purpose. Watching them happy. It makes something inside me settle.
I shift my stance, leaning just slightly closer. Wyatt’s sugar cookie scent surrounds me, warm and grounding. Our shoulders touch. He turns his head, and I tip my chin up to meet his deep green gaze. Heat sparks down my spine.
There’s conversation happening. It's something about logistics, I think. But it fades to background noise. Wyatt’s lips curl, just a little, and I can't help the boldness that blooms in me. Maybe it’s the kiss I shared with Rosie. Maybe it’s the kiss I shared with him.
My hand lifts, almost on instinct, fingers brushing into the stubble on his jaw.
His eyes widen slightly and then soften. The look he gives me is warm and edged with hunger. His scent changes, thickens, like cookie dough baking in the oven. It's sweet, hot, and close to melting.
He shifts to face me fully, palm sliding to my waist. His cowboy hat sits abandoned on the counter, his brown hair pushed back, cheekbones catching the low light.
Then—
A cough.
I nearly jump. Irritation flares sharp in my chest. Wyatt sees it too, his chuckle low and unapologetic as we turn back to the others.
“We were saying,” Evander drawls like he’s talking to a pair of naughty schoolboys, “maybe we should all go to bed together so the in-and-out doesn’t wake Rose. You know—the omega in our bed.” His eyebrows are halfway up into his ridiculous hairline.
I love him like a brother. I also want to strangle him… like a brother.
“Sounds good,” Wyatt rumbles before I can say anything.
When we open the bedroom door, Rosie’s already asleep. Her soft snores fill the room, and damn if it isn’t the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.
We all get undressed and into bed as quietly as we can. Harlan slips in first, positioning himself beside Rosie. For a second, he hesitates—then turns away from her and reaches for Evander instead, circling his waist and tugging him close.
Evander giggles but leans across him anyway, brushing Rosie’s curls off her forehead and pressing a kiss there. Harlan wraps him up like a weighted blanket. Logan slides in next, tucking himself into Evander’s side.
I look over and Wyatt’s already watching me.
He jerks his chin toward the bed in a quiet go-ahead. I toe off my shoes, strip my shirt and pants, leaving just my boxers. My cheeks flush hot. I don’t look at him as I slide under the covers next to Rosie.
She shifts toward me in her sleep, mumbling something, and wraps her hand around my waist.
If I were a better man, I’d move her hand. She doesn’t know she’s doing it. But god, I’m not. I kissed her in front of a whole town tonight. I want to do that every damn day.
And now? I can’t bring myself to stop her from touching me. Intentional or not.
The bed dips beside me. Wyatt.
His skin brushes mine, hot and firm. I glance over and swallow hard.
Shirtless. Pants gone. His abs flex as he shifts closer, the old scar on his thigh catching the moonlight.
He slides his left arm under my pillow. His chest presses into my back as his right arm wraps around both me and Rosie. His hand rests over hers on my stomach.
She sighs, peaceful again.
I am not peaceful.
Sleep is impossible. Wyatt rests his forehead against my temple.
“Sleep, Kai,” he murmurs, voice rough like gravel and velvet at once.
But how the hell am I supposed to sleep with the sexy cowboy behind me, the wild-haired goddess in front of me, and a raging hard-on between us?
We’re not even officially courting. There’s no privacy. Rosie needs her rest.
Fuck. Me.